Las Vegas Sun

August 30, 2008

Topic:

Construction Deaths

Harold "Rusty" Billingsley's hard hat and work boots are reminders of the job that led to the ironworker's death Oct. 5 while working on CityCenter.

Photo by Sam Morris / Las Vegas Sun

Harold "Rusty" Billingsley's hard hat and work boots are reminders of the job that led to the ironworker's death Oct. 5 while working on CityCenter.

Las Vegas has always flourished through growth. But never before has booming construction on the Strip taken such a toll in lives.

The 12 construction deaths in less than 19 months exceed the total reported for the entire 1990s building boom.

National safety experts are alarmed.

They say contractors are taking too many shortcuts and Nevada agencies are lax in oversight.

Workers say they feel unsafe on rushed and crowded construction sites. But state safety officials and union locals say the workers themselves are to blame.

This page features the Sun's series, which includes stories, a video, an interactive and documents from OSHA concerning the deaths, plus follow-up stories.

Archive highlights

A CAUTIOUS PUSH

Sun, Apr 13, 2008

The 70-odd ironworkers working at the Fontainebleau construction site were fed up with dangerous conditions. In July, they stopped working in the unsafe areas and persuaded their union, Ironworkers Local ...

Pace is the new peril

Sun, Mar 30, 2008

In the shadows of the cranes, steel and concrete upon which Las Vegas has pinned its addiction to growth, a body count has emerged. Nine construction workers have died in ...

OSHA goes easy

Mon, Mar 31, 2008

Hundreds of construction workers signed a 10-foot long memorial poster for the family of Harold Billingsley after the 46-year-old ironworker plunged to his death at CityCenter last year. Four months ...

'Not in this city'

Tue, Apr 1, 2008

The disturbing rash of worker deaths at casinos, condos and hotels being built along the Strip raises safety issues that must be addressed, safety engineers and others say. But making ...

All stories

Nevada OSHA will respond to feds

Tue, Aug 26, 2008

Nevada OSHA confirmed Tuesday afternoon that it had received the letter from the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration describing the outcome of a year-long investigation into Nevada OSHA's handling ...

Feds second-guess state OSHA

Tue, Aug 26, 2008

Federal workplace safety officials have raised “significant concerns” about the way Nevada resolved an investigation of a double fatality at the Orleans last year.

On-the-job deaths rise in Nevada

Wed, Aug 20, 2008

Newly released federal statistics show that Nevada saw the sharpest increase in workplace fatalities among states between 2006 and 2007.

Worker hurt at CityCenter

Wed, Aug 20, 2008

A 36-year old construction worker was injured Wednesday morning at CityCenter when a heavy piece of sheetmetal fell on his neck and shoulders.

Perini wants safety culture but it’s not a ‘reaction’

Fri, Aug 15, 2008

The challenge is a tough one: change the “culture of safety” midway through a round-the-clock construction project that employs thousands of workers.

Drinking story adds to grief

Sat, Aug 9, 2008

Susan Englander’s husband, Harvey, never went out with the guys after work for drinks. And he certainly wasn’t drunk or on drugs the day he died at CityCenter, when the ...

Despite downturn, unions seek to organize residential builders

Mon, Aug 4, 2008

Last week a wooden plank fell on Eduardo Acevedo and badly injured his finger while he was building houses for the construction company SelectBuild.

Worker injured at CityCenter

Wed, Jul 30, 2008

A worker was injured this morning at a CityCenter construction site after he fell down a flight of stairs and landed in a basement area. He was conscious and breathing ...

Senators demand action

Thu, Jul 24, 2008

High-profile senators including Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton and Edward M. Kennedy have urged the Bush administration to enforce safety regulations that could prevent construction deaths similar to those that have ...

Safety engineers say they get little respect

Mon, Jul 21, 2008

Put a bunch of safety professionals in a room together, and you’re likely to hear the same complaint: “We’re undervalued!”

Safety wasn't in the equation

Sat, Jul 19, 2008

At this week’s Clark County Commission meeting, Commissioner Chris Giunchigliani noted a curiosity:

State deal in deaths at Orleans questioned

Tue, Jul 15, 2008

A former federal OSHA official said a draft of the results from an investigation into Nevada's OSHA calls into question the use of state resources to provide training and consultation ...

OSHA a no-show at safety session

Mon, Jun 30, 2008

It took 12 deaths, a massive worker protest and a hearing on Capitol Hill to bring about Saturday’s meeting at the Clark County Government Center.

Union turns a worried eye on construction cranes

Mon, Jun 30, 2008

Nevada has some of the most strict construction crane laws in the country, but labor officials want them improved.

Safety has gotten attention — slowly

Thu, Jun 26, 2008

More than a month ago, a sister of Harold Billingsley, the construction worker whose death was highlighted in a congressional hearing this week, e-mailed her three Nevada representatives in Washington ...

Documents

The case of Willie Pelayo

General laborer foreman Willie Pelayo rode a malfunctioning buggy into an elevator shaft and was killed at Trump Dec. 5, 2006. OSHA initiated a two-month long investigation and issued a report that involved extensive documentation, including photographs and a complete evaluation of the buggy.

Here are some of the documents involved in the case:

Videos

Federal Hearing Focuses on Vegas
Federal Hearing Focuses on Vegas
The U.S. House Education and Labor Committee took aim at OSHA on Tuesday, citing the ...
Hopes of Change
Hopes of Change
Las Vegas retired ironworker George Cole discussed on Monday what he planned to say at ...
CityCenter Workers Strike
CityCenter Workers Strike
Construction workers shut down MGM Mirage's CityCenter at midnight Monday, walking off the job to ...
Cost of Expansion
Cost of Expansion
In the shadows of the cranes, steel, and concrete upon which Las Vegas has pinned ...

Slideshows

Construction Deaths
In the shadows of the cranes, steel, and concrete upon which Las Vegas has pinned ...

Calendar

KISS at the Pearl

KISS at the Pearl

( The Pearl at the Palms)